Data Resources

Learn about the life cycle of disposable plastic utensils. The author investigates the origins of the materials needed, the process of producing the plastic utensil, the societal norms that have evolved around the product and what happens to the product after being discarded. Ecological, economical and social implications of the plastic utensil economy (and the plastic industry as a whole) are discussed in the various stages of the life cycle of the plastic fork.

Global AlertThe Global Alert platform for reporting trash hotspots was presented at the IUCN World Congress in Hawaii on Sept. 2, 2016, at the "Smallest Biggest Plastic Event in the World" from Doug Woodring, Founder of Ocean Recovery Alliance and the Global Alert Platform. It is a Clinton Global Initiative project (CGI, and partly funded by the World Bank and the Austin Family Foundation.

Heal the Bay – Marine Debris Database

The Marine Debris Database (MDDB) is an online tool that allows users to see the amounts and kinds of trash collected at various Heal the Bay beach cleanups. Look for esearch specific beaches, specific kinds of trash or date ranges, and use that information in a report. This data is a critical part of Heal the Bay’s advocacy efforts, because it allows regulators and legislators to see how much and what kinds of trash are found on the beach.

IPW is a global monitoring program designed to assess the pollution status of the ocean’s globally by measuring POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) like PCB’s and organochlorine pesticides. Their bioaccumulative nature adversely affects marine organisms and humans has resulted in POPs being regulated by an international treaty, the Stockholm Convention. IPW bases their data collection on the beached plastic resin pellets and publishes the analytical results of pollution on a global scale. POPs accumulate in resin pellets (plastic raw material) from the surrounding seawater by a factor of millions. Similar accumulation occurs with broken plastic fragments in the ocean. Pellets are surrogates for all marine plastics. IPW reveals the magnitude and spatial variability of POPs in marine plastics for risk assessment. IPW has demonstrated that marine plastics transport POPs in marine environments, even to remote areas. Studies related to IPW have also demonstrated the transfer of POPs from ingested plastics to the tissues of wildlife that mistakenly consume marine plastics.

Oceans and Plastic Pollution - A Quick Guide - Be Waste WiseUse this easy solution guide to learn more about oceans and plastic pollution, rather than the daunting task of parsing through copious information on the internet.

Ocean and waterway trash ranks as one of the most serious pollution problems choking our planet. Far more than an eyesore, a rising tide of marine debris threatens human health, wildlife, communities and economies around the world. The ocean faces many challenges, but trash should not be one of them. Ocean trash is entirely preventable, and data you collect are part of the solution. The International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest volunteer effort on behalf of ocean and waterway health. Collect, record and analyze the data from the clean up on the downloadable data sheet. Publish the results and help reduce impact on the oceans.